Paradise

Dreams are supposed to be your escape. They're supposed to make you feel peace. Mine don't. Mine make my life look better the fantasies in my dreams.

"Mikayla! Come downstairs!" My dad yells. I run downstairs to see him waiting next to my bag. "What are these?!" He yells holding up the pills from my bag. "I haven't been going to sleep. It's sleeping medication." I say grabbing the bag from his hands. "Your brother almost got to it. Do you know what would've happened if he had?" He says lowering his voice for my brother's sake. "It doesn't matter! He's not my responsibility! I'm so sick of you expecting to be this angel that does nothing wrong!" I say grabbing my pills and my bag then going upstairs. "Sissy?" Ryan, my brother, says peeking through my door. I signal for him to come in and he runs into my arms. "Why were you and daddy yelling?" He says scared and worried. "Nothing. Just a tiny disagreement about something." I say hugging him. He walks out closing my door behind him. I went to my bed and closed my eyes. I hate sleeping but it's the only thing that can take my mind off whatever is happening in the real world.

In the dream world...

I was back in the kitchen but this time it was dinner. Ryan wasn't there. "Where's the plate for Ryan?" I say looking at my dad. "Ryan is gone sweetheart. Putting an empty plate down isn't going to change that." My mom says grabbing my hand. "What happened?" I say looking at the two of them. "Told ya she was too high that night to remember what happened." My dad says shrugging my question off and continuing to eat. "He got a hold of your pills and ate 4. He overdosed."

Suddenly, I'm pulled out of my dream by the door slamming shut. I run downstairs to see what was happening. "There she is." My uncle says smiling. "Uncle Ryder!" I say excitedly. "Where's our boy?" He says looking at the stairs. "I'll go get him." I say going back upstairs. I open Ryan's door to see him fast asleep. I back out and shut the door quietly. I head back downstairs where my dad and uncle are. "He's asleep. I'll let him know that you stopped by though." I say sitting on the couch. "You good, Mikayla? I heard about your drugs. Do you need help?" Ryder says. I look at my father who's looking at the floor then back at Ryder. "What is that supposed to mean? You think I'm an addict? They weren't drugs. They were sleeping pills." I say standing up and crossing my arms. "Doesn't matter what they were. Your a danger to your brother. What will you do when we aren't home to stop him. Tell your mom? Oh wait, those pills are the exact thing that killed her!" He yells. I slap him in the face then pick the pills up. "Don't ever call me a danger to my brother. And my mom would be alive if you hadn't sold her the drugs in the first place." I say looking at him with pure fire in my eyes. "In those dreams that you get when those drugs make you pass out...Is she there? Is your mom alive?" He says grabbing my arm. "Well, in the real world, she isn't. She's dead. Her addiction killed her. So, either there's no pills in this house or-" He was about to say something but I cut him off. "Remember your place, Ryder. One call to the cops and you'll go to jail for dealing. Where they'll take you to a place you'll never leave or the light of sun again. Either there's no more discussion of my life in this house, or there's no more you in this town." I say heading upstairs. He heads out the door not sparing me a glance.